Now that Halloween is over, it’s time to get excited about Christmas! Okay, I’m excited about Thanksgiving, too, but I admit, I can’t wait to experience all things Christmas this year and if that means getting started a month early than so be it.
If you’re looking for things to do in Ohio in November, we’ve got you covered! We’re sharing a ton of ongoing events, and many of these will carry over into next month.
But if you’re like me, the longer you put something off, the more likely you will NOT do it. So I encourage you to read over the events and make a plan so you can enjoy all the memory-making fun this magical season offers.
Things to do in Ohio in November
November 4 – November 6
- Biblewalk, Ohio’s only wax museum, offers free admission to The Heart of Reformation Tour thru November 5. This 30-minute narrated tour offers a lesson in church history and the founders of the Protestant church. Check out these other events happening in Mansfield in November.
- All Hallows’ Eve | Terror Town will get you in the mood for Halloween! This haunted house attraction outside Cincinnati is full of spooky fun for adults. Attractions include a haunted trail, a ghost town, and axe throwing. Open Fridays and Saturdays through November 5.
- The first weekend of November brings the Christkindlmarkt to north Cincinnati. Hosted by the Germania Society of Cincinnati, this traditional German Christmas market is the perfect place to begin your Christmas shopping. Enjoy live music and hot spiced wine while you shop!
November 11 – November 13
- Summer isn’t the only season for music festivals! Wilmington will host the Industrial Strength Bluegrass Festival on the second weekend of November. Formerly known as the Southern Ohio Indoor Music Festival, this event has three full days of American roots music and bluegrass.
- The Sugarplum Festival of Trees in Dayton is in its 55th year of fundraising for Dayton Children’s. The weekend festival kicks off Friday with a Holiday Tree Auction, as well as a craft beer and wine tasting, and a boutique featuring unique handmade items.
- Now in its fourth year, the Ironton Wizardfest fan festival weekend kicks off on Saturday, November 12th. Visitors have the chance to meet actors from the movie, and enjoy all kinds of wizardly fun, from cosplay competitions to blacksmith forging.
November 18 – November 20
- Historic Springboro will host the 35th annual Christmas in Springboro and this year’s theme is “Rockin’ around the Christmas tree.” Featuring over 75 craft vendors and nearly 30 food vendors, this event has pictures with Santa, a beer tent, an entertainment tent, a 5k run/walk and a parade on Saturday.
- Lawrence County will be hosting the 8th Annual Festival of Trees and Christmas Market starting on November 18. The holiday tree and wreath auction supports community scholarships and development programs, while the Christmas market offers handmade items from over two dozen local vendors and artisans.
- The Creekside District in Gahanna will have its Holiday Lights Celebration on November 20. The afternoon event has live entertainment, train rides, visits with Santa Claus, plus a parade and tree lighting ceremony.
- The Saturday before Thanksgiving kicks off the holiday season in Wilmington, with the Hometown HoliDazzle Illuminated Parade and Festival. The parade features lighted floats, marching bands, tractors, and horses.
November 25 – November 27
- Dayton kicks off the holiday season on November 25 with the Dayton Holiday Festival. This one-day event is jam-packed with activities like a parade, a gingerbread house contest, live reindeer, horse-drawn wagon rides, and a holiday village.
- Sauder Village presents 1920s Holidays on Main Street on November 26. Take a step back in time to see what Christmas was like in the 1920s. The event includes a holiday film, carolers, live animals, and Santa Claus! The Soda Fountain will have hot beverages for sale.
Ongoing Events Throughout the Month
- Beginning November 18 through January 1, Ohioans will flock to Delaware for Butch Bando’s Fantasy of Lights, one of the best drive-through holiday light displays in Ohio. After 23 years, this popular event is still family-owned and operated at the Alum Creek State Park Campground.
- Beginning November 22, Carillon Historic Park becomes a winter wonderland for A Carillon Christmas. The 65-acre park has dozens of holiday attractions in the month leading up to Christmas, including model train displays and miniature train rides, the Gristmill Christmas Village, concerts, letters to Santa, and more!
- The Christmas Ranch in Morrow has over a million dancing Christmas lights synchronized to Christmas music. From November 18 through December 23, you can visit six different Christmas shops plus Santa’s Bakery & Cafe, enjoy train and wagon rides, and pictures with Santa.
- The Canfield Fairground is home to Elegant Illusions, a drive-through Christmas display that runs for six weeks from November 17 through January 1. Over 50-holiday scenes will include LED displays and high-tech animatronics. Tickets are available online or at the gate.
- At Gallipolis City Park along the Ohio River, Gallipolis in Lights will kick off on November 23 with the 10th Annual lighting ceremony and fireworks display. The lights display runs through January 2 and features several displays set to look like a scene from a Christmas movie.
- The 41st Annual Holiday Tree Festival in Akron kicks off on November 12. Local businesses sponsor trees, decorations, and wreaths to benefit Akron Children’s Hospital. Events during the eight-day festival include a preview gala and breakfast with Santa.
- Hamilton’s Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum presents Journey Borealis: Holiday Lights on the Hill from November 18 through January 1. Visitors can drive through over one million lights at this holiday light display in the suburbs of Cincinnati. Hamilton residents have free access on Tuesdays!
- Toledo Zoo & Aquarium presents Lights Before Christmas, from November 18 through December 31. Over one million lights and more than 200 animal images make this a great Toledo event in November! Plan ahead as timed admission tickets are required.
- Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds hosts Magic of Lights from November 23 through January 1. Enjoy dozens of animated Christmas light displays, with discounts offered for advanced purchase of tickets.
- Hebron is home to the Magical Lights of Winter, a drive-through light show at the National Trail Raceway. Every night from November 20 through January 2, you can drive through the beautiful lights that are synced to Christmas music on your car radio. Advance tickets must be purchased online before you arrive.
- From November 18 through January 8, the Cincinnati Zoo will host the 40th Annual PNC Festival of Lights. Featuring 4 Million LED lights, roaming characters, 30 giant animal lanterns, a s’mores station, a North Pole Express train, and a family-friendly New Year’s Eve Countdown, this is one Ohio event you won’t want to miss.
- The world’s largest collection of life-size nutcrackers can be seen at the Steubenville Nutcracker Village from November 22 through January 7. Over 200 of them are on display in Steubenville and can be seen for free 24 hours a day. Additional days will feature special events like fireworks, Polar Express hayrides, a holiday market, a holiday hike, and a nutcracker theater.
- The Ernest Warther Museum & Gardens will host the 29th Annual Warther Tree Festival in Dover. Running daily from November 12 through November 20, the event features over 100 decorated trees and wreaths. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Cleveland Clinic Union Hospital Auxiliary.
- Wildlights at Columbus Zoo is another holiday event that kicks off on November 18. Once the zoo closes each afternoon, the lights come on, with millions of LED lights, Santa and his reindeer, plus animated light displays. Weekends also feature a Holidays Craft Beer Celebration, with craft beer, seltzer, and cider from 25 breweries.
- Cleveland Metroparks Zoo will host the Wild Winter Lights festival beginning on November 15. Over 1.5 million lights are used to create hundreds of light displays, with themes like Santa’s Workshop, Candyland, and Enchanted Forest. The event runs through December 30, with some days designated for drive-through visits, while others are set aside for walking through the displays.
- For some of the best drive-through Christmas lights in Ohio, check out WonderLight’s Christmas in Ohio at the Hartford Fairgrounds. From November 11 through January 1, visitors can drive through the display which includes over one million LED lights synced to Christmas music you can stream through your car stereo!
- In Western Ohio, Washington Township hosts Woodland Lights on weekends from November 18 through December 23 at Countryside Park. Now in its 30th year, the event features ten acres of dazzling light displays, which can be enjoyed on foot or from the four-car train.
Do you know of an event that’s happening in Ohio in November? Leave a comment below so we can check it out too.
